At least 13 Pakistani soldiers were killed on Saturday when a vehicle laden with explosives rammed into a military convoy in North Waziristan's Mir Ali area, a region near the Afghan border known for persistent militant activity, Reuters reported, citing sources.

The powerful explosion, confirmed by multiple local sources, marks one of the deadliest attacks against security forces in recent months.

The convoy, reportedly belonging to the 22 Frontier Force Regiment's bomb disposal unit, was moving through Khadi Market when it was struck.

Four intelligence officials and a senior administrator told Reuters that the assault appeared to be a deliberate car bombing.

Authorities stated that at least 10 soldiers were wounded in the attack, several critically, and were airlifted to military hospitals for urgent treatment.

However, subsequent reports from provincial officials and eyewitnesses suggest the total number of injured may exceed two dozen, including civilians and at least six children caught in the blast radius.

The details of 13 Pakistani army personnel who died in a deadly suicide bombing in North Waziristan, #Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/HvRHbCxXua

— Raja Muneeb (@RajaMuneeb) June 28, 2025

A statement from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister's office described the attack as a suicide bombing and confirmed the deaths of eight members of the security forces. 

"It was huge, a big bang," said a local official, describing the explosion's intensity. A plume of smoke was visible for miles, and nearby residents reported their homes shaking, with some rooftops collapsing due to the force of the blast.

بڑی خبر 📢

نارتھ وزیرستان میں پاکستانی فوج پر فدائی حملہ، ابتدائی کے مُطابق حملے میں چودہ فوجی اہلکار ہلاک اور چوبیس زخمی ہوگئے ہیں

مزید معلومات جاری ہے pic.twitter.com/YIlhJESmX1

— Fatima Baluch ⚡ (@Fatima_Baluch7) June 28, 2025

Borderland under siege

While no group has officially claimed responsibility, security sources have indicated that the Hafiz Gul Bahadur faction, a wing of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has privately taken credit for the bombing.

The TTP, an umbrella group of Islamist militants, has long been engaged in armed struggle against the Pakistani state, aiming to impose its own interpretation of Islamic governance. It has claimed numerous attacks on security forces in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

The Pakistani military has yet to issue an official statement, though it has previously blamed militants operating from sanctuaries across the Afghan border for such attacks.

Islamabad maintains that Afghan soil is being used to harbor and train insurgents who cross into Pakistan to launch strikes—a charge Kabul continues to deny, arguing that the roots of violence lie within Pakistan's domestic security policies.

Read more: One soldier killed as female suicide bomber attacks Pakistan troops

North Waziristan, once the epicenter of Pakistan's counterterrorism campaigns, has seen a resurgence of militant activity despite several military operations aimed at dismantling insurgent networks. 

Saturday's bombing is the latest sign that militant groups remain deeply entrenched in the tribal belt, fueling growing concern over the region's worsening security.